flaying

The process of removing the hide or skin from an
animal carcass. Flaying is normally the job of the
butcher, and, in general, the methods used in
flaying give first priority to producing a good
quality carcass, not hide, as the animal is
generally slaughtered for its meat.

The animal should be in a clean, healthy condition
and the slaughter rapid and efficient. Bruising
should be carefully avoided. The animal is bled
after slaughter to remove blood from the carcass
and also from the small veins and arteries in the
skin. If this is not done rapidly, the blood will
clot and putrefy, resulting in blue-black markings
in the skin. The skin should also be removed
immediately, while the carcass is still warm, as
removal then is much easier. Subsequent to
flaying, the skin cools down more quickly, giving
less chance of putrefaction. Some form of curing
generally follows flaying. See also: BRINING ;DRY-SALTING ;PUTREFACTIVE DAMAGE
;WET-SALTING .